Underground tests begin in Cleveland

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, March 19, 2009

Eagle Geophysical has been conducting underground seismic testing inside the city limits to survey for oil and gas deposits. The testing was approved by Cleveland City Council in May of 2008.

“The survey portion of the job is through [but], we’ll be in the area through April,” said Andy Dantin the recording crew manager for Eagle Geophysical.

David Burns, a representative from Eagle Geophysical, told Cleveland City Council at their May 2008 meeting that while Eagle does use explosives in their testing, they don’t use them in city limits.

“We use vibration trucks in the city,” he said.

He also told city council last year that where explosives are used they will be used in drill holes that are 60-100 ft. deep.

Dantin stated that in rural areas where explosives are being used they will be deployed anywhere from 150-300 feet from existing water wells, cables, pipes or natural gas tanks.

“The depth of our charges and the buffer zone between them prevent them from damaging water wells,” said Dantin.

He also stated that while Eagle has hired subcontractors to perform the flagging and drilling for the explosives, the only personnel operating inside the city limits of Cleveland work directly for Eagle Geophysical.

Dantin stated that the subcontractors who perform the flagging are identifying multiple underground items such as the locations of any cables, pipes or gas lines.

According to Dantin some of the flags also identify what are called “shot lines,” which are the locations of where the charges will go and how far apart they will be placed.

Burns stated to city council, in May of 2008, that Eagle has performed similar mapping projects in Liberty, TX and Lafayette, La. Dantin also said that Eagle Geophysical is not the only crew operating in Cleveland area.

“There are other three seismic crews in the area…some of [whom] will be in the area longer than we will be, but we are the only one operating inside the city limits,” said Dantin. Dantin also stated that in addition to the seismic crews there is “a pipeline crew in the area.”

When city council was considering Eagle’s proposal, in May of 2008, there were concerns over potential damage to the city’s underground infrastructure.

“We have an old infrastructure, will the vibrations damage it?” asked then councilmember Bill Macadams. Burns stated to council that the vibrations won’t have any effect and that there will be independent monitoring.

“We have a third party monitoring that prior to doing our survey we have what’s called a hazard survey and we physically survey in all the houses, pipelines and anything we might run into,” said Burns.

When initially presented with the proposal, members of council also expressed concern if the vibrations would be felt over long distances. Burns assured the council that the vibrations would not be felt over over long distances.

“If you’re close to [the vibration truck] you will [feel it], a block or two away you won’t feel anything,” said Burns.

City councilmember Harry Williams expressed reserved support. Williams was afraid that allowing oil and gas exploration under Cleveland would lead to drilling in the city limits.

Fears of operating oil and gas wells inside the city limits have prompted many cities in the area to pass ordinances prohibiting drilling. Something that Williams was all for.

“I encourage us to pass an ordinance not to allow drilling in the city,” said Williams. Williams then cited the conflict between mineral rights and property rights as his driving concern.

“Mineral rights are protected over and above property rights. If they do the geophysical survey and find a formation that shows promise they can come in and turn your house into a drill site. It’s important that we have an ordinance to prevent drilling,” said Williams, in May of 2008.

To address area the concerns of residents Dantin stated that for a crew to get a court order forcing a land owner to allow the testing, the landowner would “have to had purchased only the surface rights, not the mineral rights and the owner of the mineral rights would have had to have gotten the court order. ”

He also said that if the owner of a piece of property has authorized the crew to enter and exit the property the crew may do so even if the property is rented.

According to Eagle Geophysical’s website the company specializes “in the acquisition of high definition surface seismic data in logistically difficult onshore environment” and has performed surveys “from California to Alabama to Wyoming.”

The website goes on to state that Eagle utilizes “Aram recording equipment including the latest Aries System and the versatile Aram24 Mark II system” and that the “vibrators are latest IVI models.”